“Wheel of Fortune” is bringing a new, rapid-fire game to its lineup for its 44th season, which premieres Monday, Sept. 14.
Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White stopped “Good Morning America” on Tuesday, Sept. 8 to tease “Wheel of Fortune’s” new format. Starting with its return next week, the long-running game show, which launched all the way back in 1975, will open each of its episodes with a new game called “Fortune Frenzy.”
A rapid-fire-style contest, “Fortune Frenzy” will offer contestants the chance to win $1,000 for each puzzle they solve during the game. The catch? They will only be given seconds to solve each puzzle. Seacrest said the game is designed to “shake off the nerves of the contestants at the top.”
“Because they’re so excited. The adrenaline is pumping and rushing,” Seacrest explained. “They’ve got to focus right in on playing the game and I noticed that when we did some of the first episodes.”
“There’s nothing else to think about but, ‘Solve that puzzle.’ It’s gotta be quick,” White said, echoing Seacrest’s sentiments. “They have nothing else on their mind but solving it.”
“This is exciting,” Seacrest said of the format change. “A lot of people say, ‘How do you get more games in this show? It’s not a long show.’ So we’re squeezing more gameplay at the top of the show with a rapid-fire game that we just started to have, which I love.”
Seacrest officially took over “Wheel of Fortune” hosting duties in 2024, the same year longtime host Pat Sajak retired. The series’ forthcoming season will mark Seacrest’s third stint as its face. During his “GMA” appearance Tuesday, Seacrest acknowledged that he felt “a lot of pressure” when he first stepped into the role.
“For me, meeting the three [contestants] every night is honestly — giving away the money is super fun — but meeting the people … I love hearing their stories and getting to know them,” Seacrest added. White, meanwhile, told Entertainment Weekly in April that she finds it difficult to compare Seacrest and Sajak.
“They’re both great. Everybody has their own style, and people watching the show can see their personality,” White explained. “You’ve watched Pat for years and you see how he is, and you watch Ryan and you see how he is. They’re both incredible to work with and easy to work with. And I, of course, have enjoyed working with both of them.”
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